The effect of an aircraft’s boundary layer on propeller noise

This study concerns the influence of the boundary layer at an aircraft??s fuselage, simulated by an infinite hard cylinder, on propeller noise in the acoustic far field. Also studied is the effect of the boundary layer on noise as a function of the thickness and profile of the mean velocity of the boundary layer, the Mach number of the incident flow, and the rotation speed of the propeller. It is shown that the boundary layer at the fuselage can substantially modify propeller noise in the far field and should therefore be taken into account in calculating community noise.     

The effect of the 2-D Laplacian operator approximation on the performance of finite-difference time-domain schemes for Maxwell’s equations

The behavior of the finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD) is investigated with respect to the approximation of the two-dimensional Laplacian, associated with the curl–curl operator. Our analysis begins from the observation that in a two-dimensional space the Yee algorithm approximates the Laplacian operator via a strongly anisotropic 5-point approximation. It is demonstrated that with the aid of a transversely extended-curl operator any 9-point Laplacian can be mapped onto FDTD update equations. Our analysis shows that the mapping of an isotropic Laplacian approximation results in an isotropic and less dispersive FDTD scheme. The properties of the extended curl are further explored and it is proved that a unity Courant number can be achieved without the resulting scheme suffering from grid decoupling. Additionally, the case of a 25-point isotropic Laplacian is examined and it is shown that the corresponding scheme is fourth order accurate in space and exhibits isotropy up to sixth order. Representative numerical simulations are performed that validate the theoretically derived results.     

The effect of Bi content on the thermal stability and crystallization of Se–Te chalcogenide glass

Glass formation and devitrification of intermediate alloys in the Se–Te–Bi system were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. A comparison of various simple quantitative methods to assess the level of stability of the glassy materials in the above-mentioned system is presented. All of these methods are based on characteristic temperatures, such as the glass transition temperature, T _g, the onset temperature of crystallization, T _in, the temperature corresponding to the maximum crystallization rate, T _p, or the melting temperature, T _m. In this work, a kinetic parameter, K _r(T), is added to the stability criteria. The thermal stability of several compositions of Se–Te–Bi was evaluated experimentally and correlated with the activation energies of crystallization by this kinetic criterion and compared with those evaluated by other criteria. All the results confirm that the thermal stability decreases with increasing Bi content in this glassy system. The crystallization results are analysed and the activation energy and mechanism of crystallization characterized.     

The effect of oil on the performance of heat pumps and refrigerators—II. Experimental results

The results of a prolonged investigation of the influence of the lubricating oil Shell Clavus 68 on the performance of an R12-based refrigeration-heat pump system are presented. The strategy is discussed for deciding if a given series of data collected at 10s intervals adequately represents the chosen experimental conditions and results are presented under both transient and steady state conditions. The effects of oil on evaporator capacity, coefficient of performance, heat transfer rates, evaporator outlet superheat stability, refrigerant mass flow rate, evaporator pressure drop and compressor discharge temperature are discussed, and the experimental results are compared with a theoretical analysis. Finally, it is shown that under certain (albeit unlikely) conditions, it is possible for both the evaporator and condensor to act as heat rejectors.     

The effect of high-frequency acoustic wave vibration pattern on HKUST’s multi-level pore structure

The physical properties of materials are critical to their functionality, and the ability to control these properties using external forces is a significant challenge. In this study, we investigate the effect of three high frequency acoustic wave vibration patterns on the structure and morphology of MOF particles. Our results indicate that while regular vibration patterns generated by SAW can alter particle morphology, hybrid waves and Lamb waves with irregular vibration patterns can synthesise MOF crystals with multi-level pores. The vibration pattern of acoustic waves is shown to be a critical factor in controlling the particle morphology process. These results provide new insights into the precise control of crystal structure and the theory of crystallisation by particle attachment (CPA).     

The effect of oil on the performance of heat pumps and refrigerators—part one. Experimental test facility

Details are given of a computer-controlled experimental test-bed which allows detailed investigations to be made of the influence of lubricating oil on the performance of refrigeration plant. The general nature of the observed effects are discussed and some preliminary results are presented. These demonstrate both how the test-rig can be used to record transient phenomena, and how the data can subsequently be analyzed to produce charts of system performance under closely specified experimental conditions. A high degree of reproducibility is reported, with consistent data being collected over periods of several months.     

The effect of activity-based nanoscience and nanotechnology education on pre-service science teachers’ conceptual understanding

The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of activity-based nanoscience and nanotechnology education (ABNNE) on pre-service science teachers’ (PST’) conceptual understanding of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Within this context, the study was conducted according to mixed methods research with the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The participants were 32 PST who were determined by using criterion sampling that is one of the purposive sampling methods. ABNNE was carried out during 7 weeks as 2 h per week in special issues at physics course. Design and implementation of ABNNE were based on “Big Ideas” which was found in literature and provided guidance for teaching nanoscience and nanotechnology. All activities implemented during ABNNE were selected from literature. “Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Concept Test (NN-CT)” and “Activity-Based Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Education Assessment Form (ABNNE-AF)” were used as data collection tools in research. Findings obtained with data collection tools were discussed with coverage of literature. The findings revealed that PST conceptual understanding developed following ABNNE. Various suggestions for increasing PST conceptual understanding of nanoscience and nanotechnology were presented according to the results of the study.     

The Scope and Generality of Bell’s Theorem

I present what might seem to be a local, deterministic model of the EPR-Bohm experiment, inspired by recent work by Joy Christian, that appears at first blush to be in tension with Bell-type theorems. I argue that the model ultimately fails to do what a hidden variable theory needs to do, but that it is interesting nonetheless because the way it fails helps clarify the scope and generality of Bell-type theorems. I formulate and prove a minor proposition that makes explicit how Bell-type theorems rule out models of the sort I describe here.     

Parity effect of the initial capital based on Parrondo’s games and the quantum interpretation

In our previous study [Zhu et al., Quantum game interpretation for a special case of Parrondo’s paradox, Physica A 390 (2011) 579], the capital-dependent Parrondo’s game where one game depends on the capital modulus $M=4$ was shown not to have a definite stationary probability distribution and that payoffs of the game depended on the parity of the initial capital. This paper presents a generalization of these results to even $M$ greater than 4. An intuitive explanation for producing this phenomenon is that the discrete-time Markov chain of the game is divided into two completely unrelated inner and outer rings. The process taking the inner ring or outer ring of the game is determined by the initial capital of parity and then a win or loss of the game is determined. Quantum game theory is used to further analyze the phenomenon. The results show that the explanation of the game corresponding to a stationary probability distribution is that the probability of the initial capital has reached parity.     

A comparison of the effect of the ellipticity on the small and large solid-core PCF’s characteristics

In this paper we study small and large solid-core PCFs with elliptical shaped air-holes for the hexagonal lattice, which were constructed by omitting one air-hole (small core) and seven air-holes (large core), respectively, and we compare their characteristics with those with circular holes. We use two types of ellipticity: vertical and horizontal. Birefringence, dispersion, and the numerical apertures of the fundamental modes are analyzed using commercial simulation software. Also, the confinement loss is obtained. The effect of ellipticity on these characteristics is investigated in detail. It is found that the type of ellipticity of the air holes affects the numerical aperture and hence confinement loss significantly, but it has no crucial effect on either the dispersion or the birefringence for the small and large core PCFs.     

The impact of cosmic dust on the Earth’s climate

Flows of material particles, viz., cosmic rays and cosmic dust, are perpetually coming from space into the Earth’s atmosphere; these are particles sized from 0.001 μm to dozens or hundreds of μm. The paper shows that cosmic rays influence the main parameters of the atmosphere’s electricity, and cosmic dust influences global cloudiness, albedo and the Earth’s climate. Original Russian Text ? V.I. Ermakov, V.P. Okhlopkov, Yu.I. Stozhkov, 2009, published in Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Fizika, 2009, No. 2, pp. 104–106.     

The effect of conductor loss on half-wave voltage and modulation bandwidth of electro-optic modulators

In this paper, we theoretically deduce the expressions of half-wave voltage and 3-dB modulation bandwidth in which conductor loss is taken into account. The results suggest that it will affect the theoretical values of half-wave voltage and bandwidth as well as the optimized electrode's dimension whether considering the conductor loss or not. As an example, we present a Mach-Zehnder (MZ) type polymer waveguide amplitude modulator. The half-wave voltage increases by 1 V and the 3-dB bandwidth decreases by 30% when the conductor loss is taken into account. Besides, the effects of impedance mismatching and velocity mismatching between microwave and light wave on the half-wave voltage, and 3-dB bandwidth are discussed.     

Maxwell’s relations and thermal coefficients for repulsive clathrates

Prospects of nanotechnologies used for designing more effective thermomechanical devices and systems based on repulsive clathrates are outlined. Basic differences in thermodynamic properties of repulsive clathrates (that can be used for dissipation, accumulation, and transformation of large amount of energy in small volumes of working chambers) and traditional working bodies (gas/vapor) are demonstrated. Among unexpected characteristics of the systems being developed, the dependence of the adiabatic exponent on the parameters of the system is detected and negative values of the thermal elasticity coefficient are confirmed. The possibility of improving the accuracy of diagnostics of capillary-porous materials by taking into account additionally the thermal effects observed in repulsive clathrates is demonstrated.     

The effects of speech intelligibility and temporal–spectral variability on performance and annoyance ratings

Ambient sound can impair verbal short-term memory performance. This finding is relevant to the acoustic optimization of open-plan offices. Two algorithmic approaches claim to model the impairment during a given sound condition. One model is based on the Speech Transmission Index (STI). The other approach relies on the hearing sensation fluctuation strength (F). Within the scope of our consulting activities the approach based on F can hardly be applied and the model based on the STI is often misinterpreted in terms of semanticity. Therefore we put to test the two models and elucidate the relevance of temporal–spectral variability and semanticity of background sound with regard to impairment of performance. A group of 24 subjects performed a short-term memory task and rated perceived annoyance during eight different speech and speech-like noise conditions, which varied with regard to STI and F. The empirical data is compared to the model predictions, which only partly cover the experimental results. Speech impairs performance more than all other sound conditions and variable speech-like noise is more impairing than continuous speech-like noise. Sound masking with continuous speech-like noise provides relief from the negative effect of background speech. This positive effect is more pronounced if the signal to noise ratio is −3 dB(A) or even lower.     

Computational study of state equation effect on single acoustic cavitation bubble’s phenomenon

Many models have been established to study the evolution of the bubble dynamics and chemical kinetics within a single acoustic cavitation bubble during its oscillation. The content of the bubble is a gas medium that generates the evolution of a chemical mechanism governed by the internal bubble conditions. These gases are described by a state equation, linking the pressure to the volume, temperature and species amounts, and influencing simultaneously the dynamical, the thermal and the mass variation in the cavitation bubble. The choice of the state equation to apply has then a non-neglected effect on the obtained results. In this paper, a comparative study was conducted through two numerical models based on the same assumptions and the same scheme of chemical reactions, except that the first one uses the ideal gas equation to describe the state of the species, while the second one uses the Van der Waals equation. It was found that though the dynamic of the bubble is not widely affected, the pressure and temperature range are significantly increased when passing from an ideal gas model to a real one. The amounts of chemical products are consequently raised to approximately the double. This observation was more significant for temperature and pressure at low frequency and high acoustic amplitude, while it is noticed that passing from ideal gas based approach to the Van der Waals one increases the free radicals amount mainly under high frequencies. When taking the results of the second model as reference, the relative difference between both results reaches about 60% for maximum attained temperature and 100% for both pressure and free radicals production.     

The Influence of Temperature on the Spectral Dependences of Aluminum’s Optical Properties

Data in the literature on the optical properties of aluminum in the range of 198–1173 K are analyzed. Analytical expressions describing the dependences of aluminum permittivity on photon energy and temperature are proposed and tested. The spectral dependences of the aluminum absorption coefficient and specular reflectance at normal incidence, as well as of the absorption-efficiency coefficients of aluminum nanoparticles in a lithium-fluoride matrix, are calculated at different temperatures. The results obtained indicate the appearance of unusual nonlinear absorption effects in nanocomposites containing aluminum nanoparticles, which manifest themselves in a decrease in the absorption efficiency with increasing temperature at photon energies exceeding 1.40 eV.     

The intensity distribution and thermal stability of InnoSlab laser

Partially end-pumped slab laser is an innovative solid state laser, namely InnoSlab. Combining the hybrid resonator with partially end-pumping, the output power can be scaled with high beam quality. In this paper, the output intensity distributions are simulated by coordinate transformation fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm, comparing the thermal lens influence. As the simulated curves showed, the output mode is still good when the thermal lens effect is strong, indicating the good thermal stability of InnoSlab laser. Such a new kind of laser can be designed and optimized on the base of this simulation.